


Hum Hallelujah

by allhailgrilledcheesus



Series: The Hog and Rat - A Bar AU [3]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Eventual Smut, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Prequel, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 17:58:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15394284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allhailgrilledcheesus/pseuds/allhailgrilledcheesus
Summary: Jesse McCree was in the army. Past tense very applicable. He is now in his mid-twenties, working in a bar for his old CO. Life sure does seem to take weird turns whether you're along for the ride or not.





	Hum Hallelujah

**Author's Note:**

> ayy lmao i'm back with a prequel not a sequel bc i wanna write mutual pining so fite me

Jesse never thought that he would work in a bar for the rest of his life. He was pretty convinced that the military life was going to be for him, but here he was halfway through his twenties and polishing glasses. Being discharged may have not been within his plan, but Jesse felt like he was making it work. Well, making it work after a year of being unemployed and almost homeless. Thankfully, his ass was saved yet again by his old CO offering him a job to drag him out of this funk. 

Gabe and Jack were like father figures to Jesse. He didn’t ever like to admit it, but he would forever be grateful for those two men. He loved them dearly and would never ever say that to them unless he was too drunk to remember it the next morning. 

He chuckled to himself and looked out the window. Today was apparently the day that the sky had opened up and released all its anger onto the world. It was a rare storm for the area, and it was storming hard. The puddles were starting to build up outside and Jesse sighed at the thought of bringing in the tables from outside. He had kept them there in a hopes that the storm would abate but sadly, it looked like it was here possibly for the rest of the day. He decided that he wouldn’t do anything unless Gabe came out of the office to yell at him to do it. He couldn’t leave the bar unattended, could he? Anyone could come in and just start stealing! 

It was, however, four hours into his eight hour shift and not a single person had walked in. It wasn’t as if the bar was particularly unpopular. On Fridays and Saturdays the whole place lights up as regulars and newbies alike drink together until the wee hours in the morning. It was a special experience, working in a bar, he wouldn’t change it for the world. 

Jesse put away the glass he was polishing and sighed. It was the last glass that needed tending to and now he was out of jobs for the day. He didn’t even have anyone to keep him company. Gabe was doing the payroll in the office which always took him a while and Jack was out at the other bar that they had just acquired making sure that things were being done correctly. There was literally nothing to do. So, Jesse settled down and tried to people watch the few figures that ran past the windows of the building in their hurry to safety from the rain. 

Whenever he people watched, Jesse liked to imagine the stories of the people walking past him. That lady rushing around using flowers as an improvised umbrella; was she given the flowers as a romantic gift, or was she giving them as an apology to someone else? Jesse would never know. This would bother most people, but not him. He was just content with who he was and who he was watching. 

The door swung open and it was one of the regulars. A tall German man wandered in and Jesse couldn’t help but smile at the giant carrier bags that were draped in this man’s arms. Jesse knew that he would try and sell him some of the stuff he had found whilst raiding skips around the city. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure after all, at least that’s what he was told. 

A glass was already being poured of the regular’s favourite beer as he sat on a bar stool in front of the cash register.  
“My boy! How are you this lovely day?” The glasses that hung above the bar shook as the noise suddenly cut through the near silence of the bar. 

“Reinhardt. I’m not too bad ol’ pal. And, to be quite honest with ya, I wouldn’t call today exactly ‘lovely’ in any case.” Jesse smiled as he passed his old acquaintance his drink and put it on the man’s tab. 

“Nonsense, dear boy. Every day is a lovely day!” Jesse couldn’t help but smile at his optimism. Reinhardt had been one of the senior officers in another unit where he was stationed with Gabriel. Because of Jesse’s close relationship to Gabriel, it meant that most of his leave was spent with him and sometimes, by proxy, with Reinhardt. The man was a amazing but in a weird sort of way. He had done much the same as Jesse, enlisted at eighteen and worked his way up, but had managed to stick the landing much better than Jesse had. Jesse had once asked why Reinhardt had never been promoted past lieutenant, he was perfectly suited for being Captain or better, but Reinhardt said that he never wanted that much responsibility. He liked his unit and prefered to keep the number of people under his command small. Jesse simply shrugged and continued drinking. This was also that night that Jesse had decided to go one for one with Reinhardt for drinks. Jesse doesn’t remember much apart from the disgusting hangover he had the next morning. Reinhardt was fine, of course, seeing as he was more than twice Jesse’s size. 

Jesse rested his hands on the counter and realised how dried out they were. Alcohol and constantly washing your hands due to cleaning a gross bar every day really do a number on your hands. He made a mental note to get some hand cream. Like he does every day. Reinhardt was contentedly drinking his beer and Jesse didn’t want to interrupt. He went back to just staring outside and enjoying people watching. 

Two people ran past holding hands. Both were woefully underprepared for the rain and one of them was even in a sundress. They both had massive smiles plastered onto their faces as they ran through the street, trying to get to shelter. They found a doorway and stood, finishing up their laughter. They then did the cheesy movie thing of smiling at each other and then kissing. Jesse couldn’t help the pang of jealousy that ran through him as he saw that. His most recent real relationship is the reason he ended up in the military. Everything since has been flings brought forth from dating apps and drunken one night stands. He constantly lied to himself that he was okay but deep down he knew he missed the sense of belonging and home that came with being a relationship. Jesse sighed. Reinhardt seemed not to notice as he was now rummaging in the two carrier bags he had with him, seemingly looking for something. 

A loud ‘A-HA!’ awoke Jesse from his daydream and he turned towards Reinhardt. The German was handing something shiny out to him that he couldn’t quite work out what it was. Jesse laughed out loud when he realised what it was. A golden belt buckle that read _BAMF_. Jesse immediately took his belt off and added the buckle. He absolutely loved it. It was gaudy and ostentatious and totally him. Jesse walked around to the front of the bar to show his friend the new addition to his look. He reached around to the back of his jeans to get his wallet to pay for his new prize but this was quickly shut down. 

“A gift. I need nothing from you, friend.” 

“Oh Rein, you don’t have to, honestly it’s fine...” Jesse tried going for his wallet again but was stopped when two powerful hands held his arms in place. Reinhardt moved his face close to the smaller man and simply whispered, very slowly, 

“ _Gift._ ”

It was then, that the door to the bar opened and a man walked in.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr: ivemcfallenandicantgetup
> 
> validate me


End file.
